Aura
by Ume-han
Summary: AU – Kurosaki Ichigo never hit it off with the new student Hitsugaya Toushiro. He never wanted to be roommates with him either. But what did he do to deserve this? Not to mention, how did the guy freeze that water just by touching it?
1. Chapter 1

**OooOoOooO**

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Chapter 1

* * *

"Hitsugaya Toushiro."

He introduced himself with a flat deadpan voice. His sharp teal eyes then stared at us as if he really couldn't be bothered. That slightly irked me since I disliked people who think they're above others. And it didn't help that his expression came out as if he would rather be somewhere else than here. Then why attend this subject then? I wanted to snap at him. His eyes were half-lidded and a part of me couldn't help but get curious at the unusual color. He was unusually short too and I had to stop my mind from comparing his height to Rukia's. Pale porcelain skin and white colored hair was sharply in contrast with his black long sleeved button up shirt and navy blue tight-fitting jeans. I didn't mean to look too closely but this boy just reminded me of glass dolls that should rather be kept somewhere safe instead of the messy environment that was college.

Thin and lean arms crossed over his chest as his gaze swept over the whole class calculatingly and I had the feeling that he was surveying each individual as I stopped a shudder from travelling down my spine in uneasiness. It reminded me of how Ishida used to be – already assessing every person he met, their strengths and weaknesses. As if everyone was his enemy.

Though I was also wondering why our stoic (not to mention stuck-up) Psychology professor, Kuchiki Byakuya, always wanted the new students to introduce themselves in front.

It wasn't also like me to antagonize someone (especially new classmates that might be potential friends) without knowing them but this day hadn't done me any good.

My father called me this morning and told me that he would be visiting later this afternoon. Not that I didn't love the guy but he always had ways to embarrass me – it happened before and I had no doubt about second times. Then I learned that my former roommate, Izuru Kira, had transferred to another University (without even telling me, the bastard). Being by myself didn't post any problems for me until I remembered that it was Kira who cooked our late dinners.

Which meant, I would either spent my evenings in the cafeteria now (their food tasted like plastic), eat at my friends' (which was just plain shameful of me), make my own (which spelled for disaster), get takeouts (it would eat at my allowance, not to mention expensive) or sleep it off (and wake up with stomach cramps in the morning).

It was at that particular moment that I realized just how much I should appreciate the shy blonde teen.

Then I had my Biology professor, Kurotsuchi Mayuri (a creepy dude who's obsessed with everything science-related), breathing down my neck since I had to redo the project that was supposed to be submitted last week. It wasn't my fault that Rukia had ruined it by accidentally (or so the midget said) dumping coffee on it.

If it was just that then I would just be grumpy, not moody. But Renji just had to make my life hell by recommending me to our History professor, Urahara Kisuke, for demonstrating a report regarding the Spanish-American war for our next topic four days later. I never did well in that subject because I never got along with our perverted instructor and I wasn't really good at giving presentations in front of others (which I'm still trying to fix by the way, just unsuccessfully). So far, I hadn't started anything yet. _Feel my misery now?_

It just so happens that this new student became the indirect point of my ire. And his current haughty attitude was only solidifying my opinions of him. When have I become such an ass nowadays?

"Well, he's cute, ain't he?" I heard one of the girls say and I almost snorted out loud.

"For a boy, he sure has a pretty face, right Asano-san?" My wide eyes snapped to Mizuiro who just smiled pleasantly at Keigo who dubiously nodded.

"You're not seriously talking about him that way…? Are you?" I asked with a little horror, not that I was against homosexuality, it was just different when my friends were talking about it. Especially about the person my brain decided to insult mentally. And I couldn't believe that I was even listening to them in the first place.

Kojima Mizuiro was known for being a notorious player in our University, not to mention that he went for both genders.

"There's nothing wrong with it." Mizuiro shrugged at me, his smile a tad wide. "You can't ignore someone that good-looking in front of you. Besides, I think Asano-san was eyeing the other new student, not Hitsugaya-san." He pointed out with curiosity and I couldn't help but follow his gaze.

Just like my classmate said, there was another new student aside from the white haired kid (Hey, he's more of a midget than Rukia. I idly wondered if he's really supposed to be here in college. He certainly looked like a student from elementary or maybe he's one of those geniuses). This time, it was a beautiful woman with long strawberry blonde locks, a _very _curvaceous and well-endowed figure, and coy silvery blue eyes that fluttered at the class every now and then flirtatiously. Our professor looked very disapproving of her behaviour from the faint frown on his face and I felt lucky to even catch the expression since Kuchiki Byakuya was one of the harder people to read. Not that I do that a lot now that I thought about it.

"Matsumoto Rangiku, please take care of me!" She winked audaciously and half of the guys were already swooning in their seats. Even the Toushiro kid looked mildly disgruntled at this.

Tsk, what a bunch of sissies.

It was quite obvious that the kid and the woman knew each other from the way they interacted. More on the kid's part since he didn't look like the type to let anybody comfortably close like the woman – who had a hand on his shoulder.

The woman was dressed in a low pink v-neck shirt that showed a great deal of cleavage with a silver necklace tucked between them and skinny jeans that fit her long legs. No wonder Keigo was drooling. Not that I was too, just not my type since I wasn't searching for good looks to like someone anyway.

What an odd pair they were (like looking between sun and moon, opposite I tell you) and I couldn't help but notice that Toushiro looked rather respectful towards our professor and it was returned in kind. Their eyes showed it and I was left a little dumbfounded since Kuchiki Byakuya rarely gave that kind of praise to anyone. Not even to his sister, Rukia.

"They're both interesting, Ichigo." Mizuiro stated as his eyes sparked, the same way it did when he was eyeing people he planned to go out with. "Just like my type even if Hitsugaya-san looks rather young." I frowned since that almost sounded like he was planning to commit assault to the poor kid.

"Hey, hey! Can't I get Matsumoto-san instead?" Keigo whined but his eyes never left the two still in front. What was taking them so long?

My eyes then turned to stare at the object of my current dislike (I haven't forgotten his arrogant vibes earlier) when I saw him gazing at Keigo quite distastefully, as if he heard what my friend had just told Mizuiro. I blinked rather slowly, nonplussed but confused. We were so far from within his earshot and that had just to be my imagination, right? That's just insane so I shook the incredulous (not to mention stupid) thought away.

"You talk as if you're a bunch of creeps." I told them bluntly with annoyance. "Not to mention perverts." I sighed to myself because I still hung out with them despite that perturbing knowledge.

That had to mean something right? Gods, I hoped I wouldn't turn into a pervert like them. That would be a nightmare.

"Are you saying that you don't like the view, Ichigo?" Mizuiro teased with a grin. I didn't like that look, never did. "You were staring at Hitsugaya-san quite intensely." He mocked as his smile widened considerably, almost gleefully that I felt a little bit self-conscious and maybe a little uncomfortable.

But I scowled as I fought the blush of embarrassment from breaking out. Though I could feel the heat creeping up my neck as I realized my actions hadn't gone unnoticed. I didn't even know that I was looking that hard! I mean, the guy just sent the wrong impression to me.

"I just don't like him." I uttered truthfully, no use in lying since they could twist my words if I did. That kid just looked spoiled to me and some part of me hated myself (did that make sense in the first place? I'm starting to sound like dad here) for being a critic. I had no right to judge him so casually when I had my faults too. I wished Tatsuki was here to knock some sense into me.

Mizuiro blinked and I discovered that even Keigo was giving me a look.

"What?" I snapped at them irately, they're looking at me as if I had gone ballistic. I was inwardly lamenting why I had to share this class with them.

"You're usually not one to judge people easily." Mizuiro shook his head with faint disappointment that had me bristling in my seat.

"Yeah? I wasn't the one who looked at people so lowly." I grunted under my breath and I had to be lying, his gaze just said that he'd rather be anywhere else than here. That had to mean the same. My mood must have been _that_ bad for my harsh thoughts because the kid hadn't even said a single word to justify those criticisms.

I decided to look at them from the corner of my eyes and saw them taking their seats at the back. The strawberry blonde woman was skipping, waving every now and then to some guys (even Keigo who melted in his seat). While the white haired brat (I didn't really know what it was about him that rubbed me off the wrong way, something told me that it wasn't really about the cocky personality I perceived) just continued walking ahead of her with his arms still crossed, his strides bold and quick. The woman followed after him, chattering loudly even I could hear from my seat but the words eluded me.

Maybe Mizuiro was right, I was glaring too deeply that I noticed the golden bangle on the kid's left wrist with a round golden star-like chip at the middle. Suddenly, those two people stood out in my peripheral vision.

A chill went up my spine for some reason when I looked at the bangle so I averted my gaze.

That's when I felt someone's eyes on me and I looked up just to meet the frosty and hard pair of teal orbs. I could've sworn they'd flickered into an icy blue color (was that even possible?) but they glowered at me for a second before the head turned away sharply from me. What the hell was his problem?

I scowled, annoyed. I'm seriously pissed right now (my mood hadn't gone good even the slightest bit since this morning). It was said that 'first impressions last' and I would have to see that for myself.

Since my first impression of him was _cold_.

* * *

I knew my scowls were starting to scare off other people.

But I didn't care, simple as that. I was probably seething as I stalked my way to the cafeteria – that bastard Mayuri hadn't even taken a look at it but he handed me back my project without any second glance and told me to redo it again, twice the pages might I add. I really hated that man and the feeling was mutual so it was no wonder that he was trying to make my life a living hell in college. I swore if Rukia was drinking coffee again right now I'd go on a rampage.

This day wasn't going any better and I had to 'welcome' my father later. I just wished he'd brought my sisters with him but I already know that they had a field trip today. The old man must've been bored and decided to grace me with his presence. What a joy.

"Yo, Ichigo!" A voice called loudly as a hand clamped on my right shoulder.

"What do you want, Renji?" I growled lowly, I was so not in the mood for his stupid antics. My teeth grinded in annoyance as I looked at Renji with blazing eyes, not even bothered that it was rather rude of me.

The hand instantly left my shoulder.

"Whoa there man! Just take it easy! What's gotten into you?" My friend asked me with a little bit of nervousness and maybe also concern but that's just me. Renji was never one to act openly despite his rash attitude, something we both understand.

"Mayuri happened, being a bastard as usual. I ought to wring his neck… I've spent three sleepless nights for this _thing_!" I brought up the bunch of papers in my hand, waving it angrily in front of me. "And he tells me to do it again, twice." My scowl deepened if it was possible as I crumpled the papers viciously, my fist tightening further around it as I poured my anger out on it. The poor papers were suffering my wrath and I felt no remorse about it.

Renji chuckled and my eyes narrowed at him.

"That's some tough shit." He muttered as he smirked at me. That's when I suddenly remembered something.

"And _you_, don't think you're off the hook, pineapple." When he frowned, I glowered back which he recoiled. "I still have a presentation to do this Friday. If you don't get your ass up and help me, I swear, I'm going to tell Tatsuki that it was you who set her bag accidentally on fire two weeks ago." I blackmailed and threatened with my teeth bared, now the guy's paling and I knew why. Tatsuki wasn't a woman you would want to cross and even I avoided enraging her.

But I felt no guilt since it was his fault in the first place why I had to report for History.

"W-Wait, Ichigo, you're not serious are you!" He recoiled from me, his arms crossed in front of him as if blocking something evil from consuming him.

I stared at his wide eyes wryly as I scoffed before resuming my walk to the cafeteria where the rest of our friends were waiting for us. My words were final and Renji knew that nothing would change my mind especially with my foul mood. Mizuiro and Keigo had classes in English at this hour and I felt glad about it. They hadn't stopped talking about our new classmates in Psychology (the only class I shared with them, thank the gods) and it was making my annoyance flare dangerously. I swear if I heard another sappy comment about their desires for the white haired brat and blonde woman, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions.

Though what possessed for Keigo and Mizuiro to actually take courses in medicine as well, I would never know and I kind of regretted that I didn't discourage them. The others just liked the cafeteria in our building much better so they mostly hung out around me. Not that I didn't enjoy the company but they could be overwhelming sometimes. At least, I had people who would listen to my recent frustrations for the day. Though I would have to make sure that dad wouldn't be within ten meters of my friends. That's just asking for trouble I'd rather not face.

"Ichigo!" Renji yelled as he caught up to me. "Alright, I'll help. But you won't tell Tatsuki, right?" He asked urgently, his eyes darting everywhere as if he expected our brute friend to jump out of nowhere to inflict torture.

I ignored him as we entered the double doors of the cafeteria and were instantly assaulted by the loud chatters of every student. My scowl quietened some people into silence and I took no satisfaction in it since they didn't have anything to do with my problems. And that's when a little pang of guilt surged through when I remembered the white haired guy (but I still can't bring myself not to dislike him). I instantly spotted our friends and made to approach them.

"Yo," I greeted unenthusiastically as I plopped on the bench rather ungracefully and it wasn't really an uncommon trait to them.

Rukia was drinking from a juice-box and I couldn't help but feel relieved by it. I was serious when I said that I might go on a rampage if she was drinking coffee again – I still hadn't forgotten about Mayuri after all. If my biology grade didn't hang on his finger tips, I would gladly retaliate for his bastard-ish behaviour. Come to think of it, wasn't there a place in this stupid University where I could complain about it?

"What are you on about now, Kurosaki?" Ishida asked blankly, not even looking up from where he was writing on a notebook, no doubt another assignment.

"I'm starting to despise Biology because of some science-obsessed freak of a professor. I swear I'm _this_ close to just hightailing it out of there and fail the subject." My eyebrow twitched as I clenched my fist. The crumpled papers now lay in a heap on top of our table but no one paid attention to it.

"No one likes Kurotsuchi-san so don't whine about it as if you're the only unfortunate soul to have the luck of being his student." Ishida retorted calmly, still not looking up. I had half a mind to snatch that notebook under his nose but I was not really in the mood to argue with him. He could be a very irritating asshole if provoked.

"Just shut your trap, Ishida." I sighed as I slumped forward.

"So, he's still mad about that?" Rukia questioned uncaringly as she tilted her head to my direction.

"Of course, he is, midget. It was your fault that I'm in this bind in the first place." I found myself growling at her but she knew that my rage wasn't entirely directed at her so she just rolled her eyes as if I was the one spouting out nonsense.

"Now, Ichigo, stop acting like a spoiled brat." She waved her hand in a dismissive manner as she stuffed her mouth with some potato chips she obviously bought from this place.

That statement made me still for a moment, remembering one of the few things I thought about the white haired guy. Now that just made me sound like a hypocrite when Rukia put it that way and I was _really_ thankful that Mizuiro wasn't here, he'd be spreading the word otherwise and my pride would have taken a decisive beating. That's when I noticed that Inoue and Tatsuki hadn't arrived yet (Chad was just silent like usual beside Ishida). Renji was situated between Rukia and I, trying to get some of her chips for himself which earned him a well-aimed punch from the little midget. And I already knew Shuuhei was attending Kendo practice at this time.

As if just waiting for my mind to call upon them, the two girls came to our table – both grinning from ear to ear. I was about to greet them when I saw them pulling an extremely familiar woman I would rather not meet now. Her silvery blue eyes blinked at us for a moment before she smiled brightly, bounding to our table. She walked to my direction and I dreaded that she would approach _me_ specifically. Instead she went past me and squealed loudly.

I winced and I looked behind me to see her seizing Rukia in a bear hug. Though from the way her boobs were smashing Rukia's face, I wondered if the midget was still breathing by this point so I couldn't do anything but look at them with fascination.

"Rukia-chan! I missed you!" The woman – Matsumoto Rangiku, if I remembered correctly – tightened her hold as she chirped her words cheerfully to the flailing Rukia.

"M-Matsumoto-san!" She choked out and I tried to scowl to prevent a smirk from breaking out. Rukia was rather violent and I wasn't going to test a fact such as that.

"Eh?" The woman pulled away abruptly, looking at Rukia confused and admonishing at the same time. I really should thank my lucky stars that Mizuiro and Keigo weren't here, it's going to be a disaster without me saying anything. "'Matsumoto-san'? I thought I told you to call me Rangiku-chan?" She pouted as her eyes enlarged dramatically. Geez, talk about childish… and I was expecting the white haired brat to be the one acting like it. Or maybe it had something to do with woman complex?

"What about me, Ran-chan?" I heard Renji whine beside me and I looked at them curiously. I knew they had friends outside of our circle but this was the first time I met one of them.

Silvery blue eyes shifted to Renji and the Rangiku woman was squealing again, much louder this time as she hooked an arm around Renji's neck and locked him in a headlock. She was grinning this time as she drove a fist playfully on the guy's head and I couldn't help the smirk that broke out this time. Even I could see Rukia mirroring my expression – and my earlier foul mood slowly being pushed away for a moment.

"It's good to see you too, Renji! Don't worry, I missed my drinking buddy too!" She cheered before she released him, chuckling as she did so. Though I had to raise an eyebrow, she just seriously called my redheaded friend drinking buddy.

Renji was also grinning from ear to ear as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, we could go out drinking tonight?" He offered lightly and I looked around, that's when I noticed that all of my friends (including me) were watching the exchange silently and amusedly.

The woman clapped her hands delightedly as her eyes sparked joyfully.

Before she could agree though, Rukia literally stepped in and glared at Renji balefully. It had the desired effect since he was cowering backwards, bumping into me until I had to push him away. Then the midget looked at the woman with a… hopeful face as she gazed at the strawberry blonde curiously.

"If you're here, then that means that Toushiro's also here…" She never got to finish her question though as the woman's expression turned somber. So, I guessed they knew the white haired guy too.

"Yeah, he's here." The woman tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. "We were discharged from that 'trip' though." She emphasized the word trip with a meaningful glance and I could see Rukia and Renji's face go with shock.

"What the? You two are one of the best there is! What could possibly have the higher ups dismissing you?" Renji questioned incredulously and I looked at him with confusion, just what the hell were they talking about?

Not to mention 'higher ups'? They're not involved in gangs or anything, right? Renji, I wouldn't be surprised but _Rukia_? Just what would Byakuya say?

Rukia gave him a not-so-subtle kick to the shin that had Renji glaring at her. But the scowl on her face appeared to be insinuating something deeper because Renji paled, as if he had just said something that shouldn't be uttered. My raven haired friend then turned back to the strawberry blonde woman.

"And where is he?" Rukia instead asked, effectively stirring the subject away and I had to raise an eyebrow at their skittish attitudes.

"Yeah, where the hell is Toushiro anyway? You never leave his side!" Renji exclaimed with a grin, though for some reason, it was stretched too wide as if strained. What the hell?

"He retired for the day early… he really needed it." The woman answered quietly as her eyes dulled.

I wasn't the only one confused and so were Rukia and Renji but they looked perturbed by something – like some unspoken thing. I got tired with the tension suddenly in the air as I whacked Renji behind the head.

"Oi, not that I like ruining your reunion or anything, mind explaining?" I quipped to the redheaded guy who looked surprise at me, as if he had forgotten I was with them in the first place, an expression replicated by Rukia and the Rangiku woman.

"That's right! This is Matsumoto Rangiku-san!" Inoue joined in as she gestured to the now beaming strawberry blonde woman. "We met her in the library! She's taking courses in nursing and since she's new to the University, Tatsuki-chan and I decided to introduce her here!" The girl chirped and I had to remind myself that Inoue's too good for her own good. A bit too friendly too – and Tatsuki had to beat up some testosterone-driven males into oblivion since Inoue was too naïve to tell that they weren't interested in being 'friendly-friendly' but 'touchy-friendly' with her body.

"Yes, you'll show her around, right Ichigo?" A menacing voice _ordered_ me as a hand found itself resting on my spiky hair, Tatsuki looming beside me with a threatening glare. Of course, I was the only one available since Rangiku-san and I were inhabiting the same building for our respective courses (Ishida was also the same but would never accept anyway). There's also the fact that Tatsuki would never entrust her to Keigo and Mizuiro – I sure as hell wouldn't too if the circumstances were reversed.

"A-Alright! Just get the hell away from me!" I cried out as I pushed her away from me, sweating a little since I could tell from her eyes what she would do to me if I didn't do as she says.

"Good, I expect nothing less from you." Tatsuki smirked at me as she moved back to Inoue's side.

"That's all Kurosaki is good for anyway." Ishida butted in with his own sardonic smirk but his eyes kept shifting to Rangiku-san (even to Rukia and Renji that had me reeling inwardly with perplexity, he never acted like that around the two, so what brought this change on?) uneasily, his shoulders tensed.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you come here and say that to my face, four-eyes?" I glowered at him irately as I raised a clenched fist to his direction.

"I have no need to respond to your childish tactics, Kurosaki." He replied dryly as he pushed up his glasses.

"The one with the glasses is Ishida Uryu." Tatsuki introduced as she gestured to the guy who frowned. "And the tall and quiet one is Yasutora Sado." She nodded to our Mexican friend who raised a hand in greeting to Rangiku-san. "And that idiot over there is Kurosaki Ichigo." She carelessly pointed a finger in my direction as I fumed at the insult.

"Oh! You're from our Psychology class, right? Ichigo-san?" Rangiku-san asked me coyly, one that made me nervous.

"Y-Yeah." I responded quietly, avoiding her face.

"Oh, too bad Tai – I mean, Toushiro-kun isn't here." The woman remarked disappointedly and I felt the guilt eat away at me again from earlier. The kid had done nothing wrong but I had categorized him wrongly without even knowing him. And I hated it when I was starting to sound like a sappy girl, like right now.

"Well, there's another two, Shuuhei not included since you already know him, both are perverts so I'm going to warn you to stay away from them." Tatsuki warned her seriously.

"They can't be that bad." The other waved off.

"They aren't!" Inoue cut in with a worried look. "Tatsuki-chan's just exaggerating!" She amended in their place, too good for her own good, I keep telling everyone.

"Uhm, I need to talk to Matsumoto-san for a minute." Rukia cut in as she took hold of the woman's arm, earning her interested looks from us. Though Rangiku-san's expression turned serious as she nodded. Waving at us as they trudged out of our sight, Rukia looked over her shoulder imploringly. "Renji!" She called sharply, her eyes narrowing at the guy who hastily stood up to follow them, sending an apologetic look to us as he did so.

Rukia and Renji were always with each other. It was rare to see the other without the other. Though it had been denied that they were dating, even though teased countless time, I knew that they weren't lying. There was something deeper in their connection, like it was required to be with each other. I couldn't understand it but they always avoided me when I asked about it.

I sighed as I looked at the crumpled papers in front of me.

"Just as good as it gets, I guess." I muttered to no one in particular.

* * *

On my way to the gate to see my father (who just called and told me to go get him) after lunch (and I had to make sure my friends wouldn't follow, the old goat might scar them for life), I saw the white haired guy from earlier. He was leaning beside a wall, hunched forward. As I slowly reached him though, I heard retching noises coming from him, not to mention dry-heaving. I swallowed as I hastily approached him, not too sure what I was supposed to do, and concerned since the wet coughs certainly didn't sound healthy.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked blankly, masking any of my concern from breaking out.

Icy blue eyes looked up at me and I flinched. I _knew_ they were teal in color, not blue (I was sure of it, I wasn't hallucinating). His face was several shades paler than I remembered and he scowled at me, glaring at me through hazy and narrowed eyes.

"Yes, now go away." He told me coldly and I mirrored his scowl. I was just trying to help. Then he hunched forward again as he vomited and my eyes moved to the floor just to see slimy fluids pooling near his feet but what had me panicking was its color. The color of blood and the metallic (although sour) stench was definitely blood.

"The hell it's alright, I'm bringing you to the clinic." I growled at him angrily, we have no time for this! Thank god that it was very near since it was located in this same building.

Before I could get a hold of his arm, he backed away. His menacing glower not scaring me off but I was disturbed nonetheless.

"I told you to go _away_!" The guy hissed at me angrily as the hand inclined to the wall clenched.

"Look, I can't just leave you while you're vomiting your insides–" I was planning to give him the same lecture I always got from my father when I was being too stubborn to get a check-up after a particular fight from some thugs when a hand landed on my shoulder and I jumped. Gods, I didn't even hear or notice her approach me! And when I was worried, my dad told me that I always became hyperaware of my surroundings so just _how_?

"Hi Ichigo-san!" It was that Rangiku woman again. "We'll take it from here." She simply answered my demanding stare.

"Toushiro!" A voice called out with worry and I stared at Rukia who instantly rushed to the white haired guy's side. Despite the blood dripping down his chin, he managed to smirk at my raven haired friend.

"Long time no see, Kuchiki, Abarai." He murmured hoarsely and I idly noticed Renji who was crouching in front of Toushiro.

"Yeah, long time, you're supposed to be resting and the first time we see you, you're puking your guts out." Renji grunted, annoyed but I could tell he was agitated and concerned as hell. "Ran-chan told us about… you know…" He gestured to the shaking white haired brat.

I scowled as I looked at Rangiku-san.

"Are you sure–"

She cut me off again as she smiled almost disarmingly.

"Yes, we'll take it from here." This time, it wasn't some kind of reassurance. It was blatant dismissal if I ever saw one. I wondered what the hell was going on but Renji and Rukia were busy fussing over the shaking kid.

So I just nodded but gave her a stare that told her they weren't off the hook which she just shrugged at.

I stared back at the boy who gazed back at me with cool _teal_ eyes and my own brown ones widened. What the hell was happening? Was it even possible for someone to change their eye colors? With that disturbing thought, I hastily walked away from them. But not before hearing Rukia's soft and worried words…

"…it's happening again."

* * *

AN: This was requested by someone to be posted. I'm not still sure if it will be yaoi but others wanted it to be. A fic about Ichi / Hitsu. But not entirely based on Bleach (meaning the Gotei and Shinigami) but something different. Just tell me what you think so I know if I will post the next chapter or not. I have three additional in my pc. Just testing waters is all. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**OooOoOooO**

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

My meeting with my old man had left me confused.

Sure, he had tried to kick my head off my shoulders the instant that he saw me. I wasn't bothered by the fact that I had punched him straight on the face for even trying it. But I was a little embarrassed as other students stared at us as if we were a couple of lunatics. Not that I really cared what they really thought about me but to be blatantly under their scrutiny had me fidgeting inwardly. Now I had an idea how I treated Toushiro the first time I saw him. They had no idea what kind of crazy dude my father was and now people were whispering about abusive sons and delinquents.

I sighed as I leaned back on my bed. I was back at the dorms and hadn't received any news about Rukia and Renji or that white haired kid and Rangiku woman. Not to mention it was eerily quiet here now that Kira's gone. Thankfully, I had managed to demand some money from my old man and managed to eat a take out from a nearby fast food chain. It certainly quelled some of my stomach's hunger but I couldn't rely on that one.

Lifting the object of my confusion, I squinted at it as I brought it up to my face. It was a pentagonal wooden object, an x-mark with a skull design precisely in the middle. I didn't have any idea what the hell this was but my dad just told me that it's a protective charm.

I would have usually thrown it in his face if it weren't for his severe expression. Didn't even know the man was into superstitions. He must've gone crazier in my absence.

Sighing again, I put the wooden object back on my bedside table. Not really sure what to do with it.

Heck, I never believed in protective charms in the first place.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I wanted to ignore it but the knocks were equally persistent. I looked at my wrist watch and grimaced. Who the hell would go here at 11 o'clock at night? Even my friends were smart enough to let me have my rest at this time. Going out of my room, I took my time in getting to the door. I could hear a couple of muffled curses from the other side and the knocks had escalated to banging.

I scowled at that, annoyed.

Opening the door roughly, I gave the person my deadliest glare in order to shoo them away. But I was met with Renji's stunned eyes and I raised an eyebrow in greeting. His clenched hand was still raised from knocking and I turned to him with a nonplussed and disgruntled look.

"Renji?" I growled as I combed a hand through my spiky locks. Not to mention, I was only dressed in black pyjama pants with a white tank top. "What do you want? Do you have any idea what time it is?" I demanded as I glared at him.

Renji had the gall to actually grin at me. Had he even taken a look at what time it is?

"Well, the door was locked so I had to knock." He shrugged at me. "Kira said he left the spare key to you." Though I was miffed that Kira had talked to Renji before he left, the bastard hadn't even given any hint about a transfer.

I raised my other eyebrow at him.

"So? What the hell do you need? And you better make this fast." I told him as I crossed my arms over my chest, patience wasn't really my thing and Renji knew it.

"Meet your new roommate Ichigo!" He exclaimed loudly as he looked triumphant for some reason.

"Hell no! Why would I want _you_–?" A vein was threatening to pop in my temple as I started to point at the redheaded guy but he just backed away to reveal a small figure standing behind him. I felt my mouth go slack as teal eyes glared at me irately.

"That would be me, Kurosaki." His voice was as clipped and cold as I remembered it to be last time I saw him. Hitsugaya Toushiro still looked unusually pale but he was standing more upright now and wasn't shaking or heaving. But my mind seemed to go blank as what they were implying finally hit my brain. It may have rebooted for a while before I managed to process the information properly. Renji was now smiling nervously while Toushiro looked very impatient as he glared at me.

"You're saying that _you_ are my new roommate?" I asked skeptically as I stared down at him. I didn't know that I was this tall or maybe he's just unusually short. "Are you really even supposed to be in college? A short brat like you?" Rukia once told me that I had a motor mouth sometimes and I wouldn't deny it at this very moment. Renji looked mighty horrified at my words as he backed away from us and I could've sworn that it had gotten colder.

Next thing I knew, I was the one hunching forward as I clutched my gut. Damn, that was painful. I raised my head and looked at the white haired brat who just lowered his right leg, the one he used to give me a hard kick. He's strong, for a short person like him.

"I won't hesitate to hold back if you call me 'brat' or '_short_'. I would gut you with a fork and feed you to street dogs and freez–" He was cut off from threatening me as Renji hastily put a hand over his mouth. Teal eyes moved to glare at him and Renji glared back. Whatever silent talk that occurred between them was highlighted as Toushiro nodded briskly, admitting to something he was wrong about, it looked like.

I straightened as I winced at the pain. Fuck, didn't even know the guy could kick so hard and I thought Rukia was enough. Come to think of it, she was friends with him.

"Fine," I grounded out of clenched teeth. "But _no kicking_," I warned him as I stepped aside, making room for them to enter. "And certainly no messing around." My eyebrow twitched as the white haired brat just scoffed and pulled a large suitcase behind him (almost the same size as him, I realized) with strength usually not seen on small, tiny people like him. Renji followed in, as if making sure the brat was all right (no doubt Rukia made him do it).

As soon as I closed the door, before my hand had even left the doorknob, icy blue eyes flashed within my mind. I couldn't help it when I suddenly tensed as I turned around to observe them. Toushiro had his eyes (which were definitely _teal_ colored) inspecting the apartment-like space he would be now residing in while Renji stood beside him (though some part of me was suspicious with Kira telling Renji about that spare key and how convenient his absence was at this moment – the exact time Toushiro transferred to this University). I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts, maybe I was just reading too much into this. Maybe the eye-changing-color-thing was also some kind of delusion caused by stress. Yes, that _had _to be it since stress was always associated with meeting my insane father.

But _goddamnit_, I wasn't imagining it. It wasn't a hallucination and certainly not a fucking delusion. Maybe it's a disease? I couldn't go accusing people without proof and I had already endured enough in high school by being so rash and reckless.

I cleared my throat awkwardly as Toushiro's teal eyes and Renji's dark brown eyes landed on me. We were now in the living room and they were looking curiously at the large plasma TV that dad insisted I bring over from our house (before I moved in here).

"So, what do you think?" I asked with a frown, barely resisting the urge to bang my head on the nearest wall. I couldn't think of any question better than _that_, huh?

"It's…liveable." Toushiro sounded like he was conceding to something.

I felt my eyebrow twitched in annoyance. It wasn't that bad and all he had to say was that? From his tone though, he appeared to be just tolerating it.

"Of course it is, Toushiro." I found myself gritting out, I was so not in the mood for this. Couldn't we just move on with it so I can go back to sleep? I glared back when teal eyes snapped sharply to meet my brown ones, what _now_?

"It's _Hitsugaya_ to you." He bit out frostily, his voice icy with contempt. Renji and Rukia called him Toushiro so I didn't see any problem with it. "And how in heaven's name do you know my name? I don't remember imparting it to you." He crossed his arms over his chest and he sound just plain condescending. That short, insufferable _bastard…_

"Hitsugaya Toushiro and Matsumoto Rangiku," I started as his eyes narrowed at me. "Two new students in my Psychology class under Byakuya. And it just so happens that Renji and Rukia knew you so I was bound to discover eventually." When he scowled, I couldn't stop the smug smirk that appeared on my face. It seemed even he didn't appreciate it judging by the deepening in his furrowed brows.

"Don't get cocky with me, Kurosaki." He warned me angrily as he growled, his shoulders tensed and a chill went up my spine for some reason.

I must have been imagining again because I could've sworn the windows slowly started to frost over. It was just insane not to mention _not_ possible since it's nearing summer. As soon as it started though, it stopped and the glass just looked like it had been fogged due to the cold air outside.

"Oi, oi, calm down, Toushiro." Renji instantly intervened as he put an arm around the white haired guy's shoulders, stirring him away from me and to Kira's former (now his) room. Renji gave me an unreadable look over his shoulder as they disappeared inside.

That's when I noticed that I was holding onto the couch's back frame almost for dear life.

Fuck, I didn't even realize that my breathing had gone ragged and was now reduced to panting. My eyes bore intensely on the closed door of Toushiro's new bedroom, what had just happened? When Renji exited through the door though, I was about to ask him about it when the world tilted alarmingly to the side as my vision started to darken around the edges. I didn't even feel it when I hit the ground.

"Shit! Ichigo!" I distantly heard Renji yell with panic.

Then the world went black.

* * *

"–have handled it _better_! Now look–"

Was that Renji? He sounded reprimanding and angry but I thought I heard an undertone of concern in his voice.

"–lost control, alright? Besides, he's alive. What more–"

I frowned inwardly at that voice, I remembered that to be Toushiro's.

_Wait_, were they talking about _me_?

"–if something happened? You're going to wait–"

"–shut up, just _shut up_! It will _not_ happen again so you could just shut–"

I could hardly catch what they were really going on about as I came more to be aware of my consciousness, I felt myself groan at the stiffness of my body. What the fuck just happened? My eyes instantly snapped open and I found myself gazing at the ceiling of my living room. There was a sharp intake of breath to my left. As I craned my neck to its direction, I was instantly bombarded by Renji's relieved face.

"Ichigo!" He exclaimed loudly.

Out of reflex (due to dad's eccentric ways of waking me up), I shoved Renji's face away from me harshly and immediately bolted to sit up.

Not a good idea as a headache made itself known to me. I massaged my temples with my left hand in a sad attempt to will the annoying throb away to no avail. I ignored Renji who cursed as he got up from the floor. I was busy thinking about what happened and how I came to be unconscious on the couch.

All I remembered was–

___…coldtinglingdownmyspineIcan'**Ican'tfuckingtbreathe**…_

–and came up infuriatingly with blank.

I blinked rapidly as I stared at my lap, still massaging my temple. Did something hit me when I wasn't looking? I recalled welcoming Toushiro and Renji into my dorm, asked for Toushiro's opinion, getting angry, Toushiro scolding me to call him Hitsugaya, he asking me how I knew his name, I informing him about being my classmate for Psychology, and he becoming enraged then… _blank_, just nothing, not a single damn thing.

"Here, drink this." A glass of water was pushed in front of my face and I looked up to see Toushiro eyeing me warily with his deep, cold teal eyes. I breathed out slowly as I squashed the demanding curiosity within me about his eye color_s_. I gladly accepted the drink and the way his fingers moved was so cautiously, it was as if he was careful not to touch me. I scowled, he was starting to be more annoying than I thought. I didn't even thank him.

But I greedily drank the liquid and I inwardly savoured the cold and relaxing feeling it brought to my throat. The headache became more bearable by now.

As I set the now empty glass on the table beside the couch, I looked at the watch around my wrist. And I almost gaped as I read the time, 4:23, and I had to look at the still darkened sky through the windows just to confirm that it was morning and not afternoon and that I didn't miss any of my classes. I sighed as I laid down on the couch, still groggy and tired. Renji was now sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor and gazing at me grimly.

"What happened?" I questioned with dread.

"You fainted, moron." He simply answered as I stared at Toushiro who took the glass from the table and went back to the kitchen without a word. So I directed my eyes back to my redheaded friend with frustration.

"I deduced as much." I grunted as I covered my eyes with my forearm. "I meant _how_?" I resisted the urge to growl at him, shifting to my side to stare at him.

Renji just shrugged noncommittally for someone who had been worried seconds ago. What bothered me though was his expression. It was a mix between serious, anxious, and unreadable. And here I thought he couldn't come up with something so complicated.

"Dunno, I went with Toushiro inside his room and the next thing we know, you fainted." He answered with a straight face and his voice didn't waver in the slightest, making it hard for me to tell if he was lying or not.

But what answer was I expecting? And why am I bracing myself for a lie?

Then I remembered those cut off words from their conversation earlier.

"You were talking about me earlier." I pressed, stubbornly refusing to back down.

"We were," Renji nodded with a grin this time. "Toushiro just wanted to leave you laying on the floor and we both know I wouldn't let that happen." He puffed out his chest proudly as he raised his head almost reverently. I snorted at how it only made him look like an overrated idiot.

Somehow, I knew Renji wasn't lying but it was not the entire truth either. And that wasn't the only thing they were talking about. So I persisted on, I sat upright and eyed him suspiciously as he fidgeted under my gaze.

"What _else_?"

He looked at me, genuinely confused this time. I glared back at him, why couldn't he just tell me? We were friends, right? And I absolutely did not want to use that card on him, Rukia would murder me.

"Well, we've been watching over you since…" He added lamely as he eyed me carefully.

Seeing that I wouldn't get anything out of him, I sighed as I swung my legs over the edge and moved to stand up. I paused as our noses were instantly hit with a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen and my stomach growled against my wishes. I looked over to Renji who was already standing, a toothy grin on his face. He beckoned me to come with him and I stood up without a word and followed him to the kitchen.

I froze halfway into it though.

My salvation. The solution to my dinner dilemma. Standing there and setting a plate of omelette on the table. Along with other foods such as bacon, mixed vegetables, and sausage.

Who knew that the little guy could cook? I could _kiss_ him right now as I salivated at the alluring scent of food entering my nostrils. Renji had already seated himself and was moving to eat as he piled them on his plate.

I stared at Toushiro who was drinking a glass of juice and leaning on the counter.

"I could kiss you right now." I told him my thoughts genuinely, eyeing him almost dreamily as I fantasized about delicious dinners not spent in the cafeteria or take outs. Though he looked back at me with barely concealed disgust as he glared at me. He looked positively livid at me for my words and I grinned at him. He scowled as he watched me take my seat and start to eat as well. And I thought Kira was a great cook, this was godsend!

"Sorry about earlier," I told him through a mouthful of sausage. "It was rude of me." It didn't matter if I was only admitting it to get to his good graces, I could get used to this! It was almost as good as Yuzu's cooking since there's no one better than my little sister.

"You _do_ have manners after all." He commented dryly as he finished his drink and went to deposit it on the sink.

"Of course I have! Give me some slack here, Toushiro, I was the one who fainted, you know?" I smirked at him, not even bothering with the fact that my pride had been taken down a peg by confessing to such thing.

He glowered at me again.

"It's _Hitsugaya_, you idiot." He growled at me and I could barely hear Renji snickering as he took a spoonful of those mixed vegetables. "Or did that fainting did more damage to your brain, Kurosaki?" Toushiro sneered at me with annoyance as a vein throbbed in his forehead. I could see it pulsing even from my place.

"I have a name you know," I pointed out. "Just call me Ichigo, didn't Rukia told you?" I knew for a fact that he learned my name from them.

"_Kurosaki_, shut up." For some reason, he reminded me eerily of Ishida but Toushiro's words were underlined with some hidden threat that I couldn't ignore, my instincts screaming bloody murder at it (and that confused me more than scare me). I was about to say something to defend myself when he started coughing harshly, a hand covering his mouth. Renji jerked loudly in his seat as he moved to stand up. My first thought was to ask what was wrong but then I remembered the second time I encountered the little guy.

Wall. Blood. Vomit. Icy blue eyes. Rangiku.

_God, how could I forget something like that…_?

"Toushiro…!" Renji was about to go to him but Toushiro raised a hand to halt him. He coughed a few more before he wiped his mouth hastily by the sleeve of his gray sweater. He then straightened as he took tentative steps and I was relieved that he wasn't shaking (though he paled again and his skin glistened with sweat).

"I'm going to my room and sleep, clean up after you eat." He ordered quietly as he slowly walked out of the kitchen. Though he didn't need to say it, I was going to insist on doing that anyways.

When he was gone, I turned to Renji who looked so solemn that I sympathized with him.

"What the hell happened to him?" I asked with a glare, daring him to not answer my question. I already let him have his way a while ago but I wasn't going to let him get away with it this time (it was the second time I saw Renji being so secretive – the first being his relationship with Rukia). I might not have known Toushiro long enough like Renji, Rukia or even that Rangiku woman, but I was worried for the guy. It might have been born from the reflex I developed when I help my dad run the clinic or I just had started to think of him as a friend. Or maybe both.

"He's just sick, alright?" I was stunned when Renji growled at me but he was glaring at his hand which was gripping his fork tightly.

"But vomiting _blood_?" My tone had reached a new level of incredulous as my eyes widened at him.

"Yes, it has been like that for a few years or at least, according to Ran-chan." He sighed as he stood up. "_You_ clean up, I have to go back. I didn't even tell Shuuhei that I would be gone for long. If something happens, give me a call. See you later." He yawned as he said that and I remembered his words about watching over me as I had been unconscious (so I let him walk out of this but I vowed to myself that I would force the answers out of him later). I heard the door close from my seat and I stayed there, staring at my now empty plate. I tried to remember what really happened before I fainted but I couldn't really recall anything.

But Renji's words bothered me.

A _few_ years?

* * *

When I went to bed again that morning at 5:56, I barely noticed it when my dad's 'protection charm' was now pure black in color. But I still did so as I picked it up, my eyes were now the size of saucers. My hands were also trembling in denial and disbelief. This couldn't be happening. I tried breaking it in half but soon found out that it was now solid as a rock. Without thinking, I threw it across the room and it hit the wall. I heard the loud click as it met the floor. But I ignored it as I tried to get back to sleep, going as far as to cover my head with a pillow. I didn't know what triggered it but I was sure that it was wooden yesterday.

I forced myself to think of different things but my thoughts strayed to eye-color-changing then to the golden bangle then to the blood.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled the blankets over my head.

Finally falling asleep, I didn't even realize it.

I dreamt of _dragons_.

* * *

I woke up with a headache again. But I ignored it throughout the day. When I went to check on Toushiro, he was already out of the dorm so I shrugged it off with him being fine. And I didn't know what to feel when I didn't see the 'protection charm' lying on any space of the floor in my room. I couldn't find it _anywhere_ now that I focused on it. But instead of wasting my time over it, I had already hurried to my first class which I shared with Ishida. He was not pleased to see me sitting beside him throughout of it and he looked tensed for some reason. Ever since yesterday, he was starting to get a little jumpy.

In Psychology, I saw Toushiro and Rangiku-san. Before going to my spot with Mizuiro and Keigo though, I greeted them with a 'Hello' which Rangiku-san returned with a cheery wave while Toushiro ignored me. What a brat. Mizuiro had teased me about it (and it was merciless considering he found out that Toushiro was now my new roommate) and Keigo had cried about not being able to join lunch yesterday – missing the chance to officially meet the strawberry blonde woman. I told them that they're friends with Rukia and Renji which surprised them.

Going to Biology had dampened my day somewhat, but I got to see it till the end of the period so I assumed that it was a good start (but I haven't redone the project yet). Lunch had been fine and Rangiku-san had joined us again. Rukia was mysteriously absent but Renji said that she went to accompany Toushiro. I asked Rangiku-san about Toushiro's 'illness' and she just waved me off, saying that it was alright by now. I didn't believe her.

Nothing weird or unprecedented had happened so far until after my humanities class.

I was walking out of the classroom when I saw Toushiro buy coffee from a coffee vending machine just two doors away from my classroom for Humanities. I saw that it was steaming hot since I could see the puffs of hot air being expelled from the cup.

He sat on a nearby bench beside the wall at the hallway. I joined him without even asking him for permission. If Rangiku-san wouldn't tell me, then I might as well ask from the source, right? I feigned ignorance to his glare when I sat beside him. Though I'm curious as to why he's dressed in a long sleeved blue shirt (it was freaking hot today for crying out loud). Acting as casually as I could, I leaned on the wall behind us.

"So where's Rukia?" I asked him as I looked around.

"I ditched her. She's overreacting. I'm fine." He bit out with annoyance and I certainly didn't know how to react to such admittance. Some part of me was irritated on how nonchalantly he had said that he had just left my friend but another part could feel sympathy for him. When I got sick on particular days, Rukia had been too much of a mother hen together with Inoue. It was terrifying when I remembered those times. So I suppressed a shudder.

"Oh, so what happened yesterday? You know, by the wall?" I stared at him and saw his shoulders tensed, his grip on the Styrofoam cup tightening. He hadn't touched his coffee though and I wondered why.

"It's none of your business." He told me with a hard voice but he didn't look at me.

If they want to play the evading game, then _fine_.

"So how do you do that?" I instead move on to a different question and he looked at me from the corner of his eyes with confusion, his mouth pressed into a thin line. His silence was an indication that he had no idea what I was talking about so I continued. "Change eye colors." _There_, I finally blurted it out and I hadn't lasted more than a day before my curiosity got the better of me. Aside from his bloody illness, no pun intended, that was the other thing that kept on bothering me to the point of insanity.

He turned to fully face me with a cold expression. I tried looking into his eyes to tell what he was thinking but they were also icily hardened and I couldn't tell a thing. But they were a pair of sparkling and vivid teal. _Not icy blue_, I reminded myself.

"You're delusional." Toushiro stated slowly his eyes watching my expression very carefully, analyzing me.

"What the _fuck_?" It was my first reaction and response to his blunt statement. "I'm _not_! I saw it with my two eyes, alright? When I first saw you, they were teal but when you were puking out blood yesterday, they were blue, _blue_ you damn brat!" I bellowed to him angrily, what did he take me for? I would admit that I may be slow at times but I'm not that stupid.

Pain instantly shot up my leg when he kicked my shin.

"That's for calling me a brat." He muttered under his breath but he wasn't looking at me now, his cup of coffee now forgotten on the bench beside me as he stood. I was about to retort to him that it was exactly what he looked like when I realized that he was changing the subject. That _sneaky_ little…

Forcing myself to calm down, I stared at him intensely.

Before I even knew what I was blurting out, the words just came out of my mouth unintentionally.

"_What are you_?"

His eyes widened considerably and his body shook. He took a step back. And another. Another.

"Wait, I–"

Toushiro was already running away from me and I cursed myself. Aside from the obvious insult the question entailed, I had a hunch that it was the right question. But a part of me felt guilty about it, he looked cornered than anything I've seen.

My eyes went back to his coffee. As soon as my fingers touched the Styrofoam cup, I jerked it back, almost spilling it. _It was chilling cold. _But I was sure that it was hot a while ago, Toushiro had been blowing it for a second or two. I didn't understand what was going on and I massaged my temples in an attempt to alleviate the headache. Putting my hand on my pocket to get my phone and give Renji a call (about Toushiro running away and what had just happened) when I felt something else that was definitely not the rectangular, metallic device I was looking for.

Slowly bringing the object out, I almost dropped it on the floor. My eyes widened and my hands trembled like earlier.

It was the protection charm.

* * *

AN: Thank you for the review. I posted this next chapter for you. :)


	3. Chapter 3

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AN: The next chapter was posted earlier than I thought but what the heck! I couldn't help it. Please enjoy this one. There would be a lot more information revealed or showed in this (or a sneakpeek on the real concept of the story *shrugs*). I already explained though, it wouldn't be about Shinigamis at all. Though some elements would stay the same for the characters. Thanks for all the reviews but please leave more. It makes me happy and more determined to continue this. But the main part of the story might start in the next chapter. :)

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Chapter 3

* * *

"You asked him _what_?"

Rukia choked on her juice as she eyed me like I had grown two heads. I blinked and I resisted the urge to feel my shoulder just to make sure that I hadn't. Her amethyst eyes were so wide as she gaped at me. Renji just mirrored her expression and I could read the question in his eyes which said 'Had I lost my mind?' and I was tempted to answer. Because seriously, I didn't know. Tatsuki and Inoue had gone to do some project in the library, Chad had some basketball practice while Keigo and Mizuiro had gone to do some research for their assignments (or in their case, annoy anyone with legs, skirt, and breasts). So I was stuck here in the cafeteria with Rukia, Renji, Rangiku-san (who was squinting her eyes at me), and Ishida (who had gone rigid at my story).

I shrugged at them nonchalantly. Toushiro had avoided me all day (he didn't go to Psychology class) but according to Ishida, he had seen him attend other classes. Rangiku-san had asked me if something happened and I just relayed our encounter to them from yesterday (though I was careful to leave out the frozen coffee and about the protective charm).

"What? It was fucking disturbing, alright? Aside from the obvious that it was just not possible." I reasoned with them as I scowled, I was not making it up. They weren't the ones on the receiving end of those blue eyes just to be teal a second later. Though for some time after my encounter with the white haired brat, I had seriously asked myself if I was the one going crazy. Rukia and Renji looked like they had no idea what I was talking about while Rangiku-san was just plain confused. A part of me was questioning my logic if that was what they really felt and knew. Because their eyes seemed to speak another language I couldn't understand.

"You said it yourself, it wasn't possible." Renji pointed out as he frowned. "_Icy_ blue? Last time I checked, his eyes are teal." He sounded patronizing and I couldn't help it when I glowered at him darkly, my hands gripping the edge of the table to prevent myself from just jumping over it and throttle the hell out of that pineapple head.

"I know, damnit!" I growled at him irately as the muscle below my eye kept twitching almost erratically and Renji cringed at the sight. "The brat even called me delusional but I _know_ what I saw!" I insisted to them, my eyes flashing to them one by one, daring them to disagree.

Rukia had no such problems.

"Because that's what you're starting to sound like." She actually had the nerve to roll her eyes. "It must have been the stress, Ichigo. College had finally gotten into you and you're seeing things." She informed me flatly as she crossed her arms over her chest. I wouldn't believe her since she wasn't the one who had seen it. They should've known by now that I wasn't one to make up things, especially ones that sounded outrageously insane.

"You probably scared him," Rangiku-san pouted at me as she leaned over the table (making her assets more noticeable and I twitched), leaning her chin on her hand. "Toushiro-kun's…very sensitive of his appearance, you know? White hair and teal eyes aren't common. Especially the hair, it's natural. And by gods, Ichigo-san, did you really ask him _what_ he was? You're so, _so_ insensitive!" She sniffled dramatically as her eyes glistened with tears and I found my mood going down the drain, I knew my face was steadily darkening with each of the strawberry blonde woman's fake sobs.

"Asking him about his 'changing eye color', I could understand. But Matsumoto-san was right, asking him _what_ he was did sound rather insensitive, Kurosaki." Ishida pointed out as he pushed his glasses up (it must have been a habit of his, _seriously_) but his lips were pressed into a thin line that showed he was perturbed by something.

"It just came out, alright? Then his coffee, it was–" I purposely cut myself off, scowling thoughtfully. If they actually didn't know what I was talking about, then maybe mentioning that information wasn't such a good idea. Because Rangiku-san's words did sound a little plausible and if I made the kid sound like some kind of freak, it _would_ reflect badly on him. And I didn't want to bully someone behind their back (since that's how what I was doing appeared to be, _at the moment_). "I mean, he just left his drink there." I continued lamely and others looked really unimpressed, especially Rukia.

"Here," I looked at what Rangiku-san (who had instantly stopped acting) handed to me and I blinked with disbelief at the can of root beer in my hand. "It might lessen the stress and cool your mind for a bit. Tai – I mean, Toushiro-kun might be seriously pissed at you." I noticed her slip-up again which she giggled nervously at but my skeptism over what she had just handed to me hadn't vanished, giving her a mix between irritated and bemused look. "What? That's what _I_ drink when I'm stressed." She defended herself with a pensive frown, as if she was offended.

A hand snatched the can away from my grasp sharply and I sent a dry yet curious look Rukia's way.

"Of course, only you and Renji would think so." Rukia frowned deeply as she tugged it away from Renji's reach and Rangiku-san pouted again. So she turned to face me instead with a sweet smile on her face that never boded well for me, I was smart enough to scoot away from her but one of her tiny hands had managed to catch my right arm in a death grip. I already told others, for a midget, Rukia was a hell lot strong than her stature let on. "Why don't you take a break after this, Ichigo? I'm sure Ishida would be glad to fill you in." Her amethyst eyes snapped to Ishida, glaring daggers that were almost visible to my eyes and he sweated profusely as he straightened.

"W-Why would I want to do that!" Ishida spluttered helplessly. He had a weak spot for females, especially for Inoue, but when it came to Rukia and Tatsuki – it was like there was a death threat hanging over our heads, being dangled by said two.

"Because he's _stressed_," She emphasized slowly as if to make Ishida understand something that he didn't. "You share all of his classes this afternoon. For all of our sake, just do it Ishida. Next thing we know, Ichigo would be spouting about masked monsters and talking strawberries." Her voice had turned light with humor and I glared at her for the indirect jab at my name, not to mention, I was affronted that she would think that way. I was not going delusional! Though Ishida sobered up visibly and he gave Rukia the critical eye. I noticed that Renji was frowning at the midget while Rangiku-san suddenly looked worried. What exactly just happened?

"I'm sure Kurosaki wouldn't be 'spouting about _masked_ monsters and talking strawberries' very soon, Kuchiki-san." His voice had turned sharp somewhere along the middle and Rukia looked like she had swallowed a lemon. Her eyes widened at Ishida, tinged with a little shock and fear. What the hell? Hastily, Rukia flailed her hands in front of her – as if swatting away something.

"I – I mean, I wouldn't be surprised! Ichigo's too much of an idiot to tell!" Then she forced out a laugh but her eyes were glinting with questions directed at Ishida. I winced at the sound of it though, it was grating in anyone's ears. That's why I never liked it when she was acting all modest and sweet in front of others. She always laughed forcefully as if something was stuck in her throat that needed to be spat out. Even Renji was shuddering at the sound, it could qualify for an evil laugh now that I thought about it.

I suddenly raised a hand (in a position that told them to stop) as I scowled, a vein throbbing painfully in my temple.

"Wait a second!" I cut in loudly, giving them all a dirty glare. "Don't talk about me as if I am not here! And I'm not an idiot!" I growled irately, ignoring Ishida's skeptical look and Rukia's helpless shrug at me. "I. Am. _Not_. Fucking. Delusional. So don't worry your asses about talking monsters or whatever, even if I did see them I realized you're the last people I would confront about it!" I slammed my open palm on the table, making Rukia and Rangiku-san jump. I was also seething inwardly, did they think I was _joking_?

"Sorry, Ichigo." Renji offered me with an apologetic grin and I just twitched. "Rukia's imagination acts up when you mention things like that." He shrugged at me impishly. "Ow, ow! What the hell, Rukia?" He growled at her, massaging his upper arm where the midget had just punched him. I fancied bruise forming there.

Ishida scoffed before standing up, giving us all a wry look.

"Well, if I'm going to 'fill in' for Kurosaki, I should go now before I get late." He informed us as he pushed his glasses up, _again_, and eyed me with a smirk. "You should rest, idiot, you're stressed." I chucked a juice box at his head but he just tilted his head to the side and dodged it. His smirked widened before he simply turned around and disappeared through the midst of crowd in the cafeteria, out of our sight.

I was about to slump in defeat when I suddenly bolted up in my seat.

"Wait, I _never_ agreed on anything!" I yelled more out of surprise, really, and I was about to follow after Ishida when Renji caught my arm and pulled me down.

"Just give it a rest, would you? Ishida already settled it so just take advantage of it, it's just one afternoon anyway." Renji advised as he let go of my arm, crossing his arms over the table and leaned on it.

But I just stood up again and wrenched my arms away from Renji who glared at me.

"I'm going back to the dorms, satisfied?" I grouched unhappily as I went to get out of this place.

"See you soon, Ichigo-san! Say hi to Toushiro-kun for me!" Rangiku-san waved cheerily in my direction to which I just grunted at.

"Tell me if you see any talking strawberries!" Rukia shouted after me and I blushed in embarrassment as other students looked at me with curious glances, especially the ones who knew my name. I scowled at them with contempt and they immediately scampered away and I scoffed.

I swore that I would kill that midget later.

* * *

As much as I loved my friends, I couldn't help but get angry at them sometimes. Like _now_, I fumed around my place with single-minded fury. Why wouldn't take me seriously? And there were times when I wished I just discussed it with Chad, Inoue or even with Mizuiro. At least, they wouldn't jump to conclusions of stress (since Rukia had been adamant in insisting, if I didn't know any better, they were hiding something – which sounded much believable since she's friends with the white haired brat). Which I was certainly not. And gods, why did Ishida and Rukia always kept on teasing me about being an idiot! I almost threw the remote straight at the TV in my irritation.

When I arrived here, I've done everything I could think of to pass the time. I wouldn't have agreed if I wasn't so annoyed which would have caused me problems in my classes if not quelled. I wanted to punch something but I didn't think the walls or my stuff would appreciate it.

As I kicked my legs on top of the table in front of me, I felt the protection charm idly sitting within the confines of my pocket. This time, I had really brought it with me. Unlike yesterday where I was really sure that my pockets were void of anything except for my trusty wallet and mobile phone. I couldn't find the damn charm too and then all of sudden, it was within my pockets like I had put it there the whole time.

I heard the creaking sound of a door opening and I looked at the direction it came from just to see said white haired brat entering. As usual, he was dressed in another long-sleeved shirt (I was the one sweating under the heat of the temperature for him, couldn't he feel the slick warmth at all?), he paused just as he kicked the door closed behind him. Eyeing me with interest and a little bit of apprehension. Of course, he had been avoiding me all day, what was I supposed to expect?

Growling under my breath, I ignored him before I did something violent. I was practically simmering under the skin and I crossed my arms over my chest and let my hands clenched around my elbows.

"Kurosaki?" Toushiro tentatively called as he walked into the living room.

"What?" I snapped angrily, it wouldn't be indirect rage at all since he was the main reason that my friends thought I was stressed. I had half a mind to drag him to Rukia and the others, forced the words out of him that what I just told them was the truth. Damn it all.

"Don't you have classes this afternoon?" He asked me and I sneaked a glance at his direction just to see him crossing his arms over his chest, frowning deeply.

"Ishida took over for me. I'm going to borrow his notes." I answered grudgingly, tearing my gaze away from him and concentrated it on the actors on the plasma TV. Why would he care anyway? If he wanted me out of this place then why couldn't he just say so?

"Oh." He simply replied before moving to the kitchen. "Want anything to eat?" My eyes glanced sharply at him and I was met with expectant teal eyes as he hovered on the doorway to the kitchen, looking over his shoulder.

"Why would you ask me? I'm delusional, _remember_?" I couldn't help but sneer a little, was he trying to bribe some forgiveness out of me? It wasn't working especially at my foul mood.

Unsurprisingly, Toushiro scowled at me as he glared death daggers my way, turning around to face me. But I just couldn't seem to care at the moment. Why was he upset about it? He was the one who called me that in the first place. Don't tell me he's actually guilty because it wasn't clear in his eyes which were hardened with annoyance. I could see his hands balling into fists over the sleeves of his shirt and I glared back at him.

"I'm asking because I am being considerate, you ungrateful bastard." He glowered at me, his shoulders tensing visibly. "You're also being difficult." He remarked with aggravation as he stepped closer to where I was, eyeing me calculatingly and analyzing me very carefully. There was that look again.

"And why should I make it easy for you?" I demanded of him coldly, narrowing my eyes at him. Toushiro didn't react to my taunt and pursed his lips. He then turned around and ignored me, continuing on his original destination.

Something just _snapped_ then.

I roughly stood up from my position and stalked to him with full intent of shaking him beyond coherency. I saw him digging food from the fridge and he didn't even deign me any notice when I was directly beside him by now.

"What do you want now?" Toushiro inquired flatly, traces of anger or annoyance gone from his voice, devoid of anything.

"You didn't answer my question yesterday." My voice had softened into a whisper as I avoided his gaze, Toushiro had straightened from bending down in front of the fridge. He sent me an unreadable look mixed with pity and I frowned.

"Do I really qualify as someone so _different_?" He quipped back with a question and I flinched at the words.

My anger and frustration slowly ebbed away to give way for slight guilt and never-ending curiosity to _just know_. I turned to him just as his teal eyes caught my gaze and were now looking deeply into mine for some reason, searching and yet at the same time, looking through me. Seeing yet unseeing. I couldn't describe it, as if he was probing for something out of me. The pupils dilated a little and I couldn't tear my gaze away from him. His _teal_ eyed gaze was so powerful that it held me in my place. Why the hell was he looking at me like _that_? Suddenly, he jerked backwards as a hand cradled his head. His brows scrunched up in obvious pain and I stepped back in surprise.

"_H-How…?_" I heard Toushiro wheeze out, his voice full of confusion as his complexion had turned an unhealthy pallid color. I couldn't see his whole face but I was frozen stiff in my position. What had just happened? (I was getting annoyed, that question just seemed to pop almost every time in my head these days). As he raised his head to look at me, I felt my face go taut with shock. Only one teal orb was gazing at me with overwhelming confusion and demand. While the other eye was tightly closed, blood streaming out of it that looked more like a tear-streak if it weren't for the color.

"T-Toushiro!" I called out as I moved to help him.

But his visible eye widened and then it narrowed dangerously, making me pause. He shakily stood in place and I could sense the anger pouring out of him, as if it were palpable in the air. But the befuddlement in his eyes hadn't died down, if possible, it had intensified as he glared at me with a single eye. His chest was rising up and down too fast and I wondered if he was on the verge of hyperventilating. Only his abhorrent gaze stopped me from doing anything.

"It's _Hitsugaya_, you fucking moron!" Toushiro yelled at me angrily, his teal eye blazing. I felt the same anger rushing within me at what he had just uttered. His sickness (or was it?) was going haywire again and all he had to say was to correct his name and call me a _moron_? Was he seriously for real? "You had the _nerve_ to ask me what I am but _what about you_? How did you repel me like that? Y-You fucking _hypocrite_!" He shouted at me bitterly, mixed with the obvious rage and a strong demand asking for an answer.

"What the hell did you just call me!" I raised my voice at him as I glared down at him, ignoring that he was barely standing on his feet and that he was starting to wheeze in and out in place of breathing properly. "I don't know what you're talking about," I shook my head gruffly. "And what the fuck were you doing? Repel you? Are you really asking me that? You were the one who just suddenly blanked out a while ago and you're blaming _me_?"

He then started coughing up violently, the wet sounds ringing quite loudly in my ears. His quaking knees didn't quite take it anymore and he collapsed on them rather ungracefully.

"For the love of–…don't start _that_ with me now…" I growled at him (with annoyance and a little worry) as I finally approached him, ignoring the lethal glare he was sending me in the form of a million, poisonous daggers. When I held the wrist of his hand which was raised to cover his mouth, I couldn't help but yelp as I retracted my hold immediately. My jaw now slacked as I turned my hand around shakily, it had gone a little blue at the fingertips. Then it trembled uncontrollably as I looked at him with wide eyes. First, the changing eye color, then the frozen cup of coffee, and then now _this_…

"How _dare_ you touch me?" Toushiro spat furiously though it was muffled because of his hand – his visible eye spoke a great deal for him.

"Y-Your hand! It's fucking _freezing_!" I wasn't lying, it was like touching a block of ice in the middle of a blizzard. I might have earned myself a frostbite there. His skin was undeniably cold, it was so cold that it had hurt just by touching it. He froze visibly as he returned my wide-eyed look with his own single wide eye. Then he coughed again and he scooted backwards weakly, away from me, and he then avoided my stare.

"Get out." He mumbled quietly.

"What? Why the hell should I? This is my place too if you haven't noticed!" But I made no move to approach him since he was so tensed.

"Get the hell out!" He screamed at me and his visible eye was now so wide and it had changed to that disturbing icy blue I had seen before. I cringed at the sight of him. Blood was now steadily streaming out of his closed eye and he wiped his mouth at the sleeve of his shirt, blood clinging to the fabric. "Get. The. Hell. Out. Kurosaki. It's _not_ an option." He stated calmly as his shoulders trembled with unreleased tension and frustration.

"Why?" I pressed and I didn't dare move.

"Because I might kill you if you don't." My eyes widened again into the size of saucers. Was he _threatening_ me? And don't tell me he's seriously expecting me to just leave him here and without any answers of what had just happened? But his eyes weren't glowing with the will to kill but with resigned defeat and wariness. The look didn't fit the Hitsugaya Toushiro I've seen so far and it was making me queasy and nauseous just by staring at it.

"You've got to be _joking_, right?" I choked out as I stumbled back a little in surprise.

"What made you so sure?" Toushiro smirked almost sardonically, his pallid features weakening the strength of his words but _that_ icy blue eye spoke of other things that made me reconsider. With that, I sharply turned my back on him.

"Just this once but don't expect me to just stand around and ignore this. You're…_hiding_ something. You'll have questions to answer from me." I warned him more calmly than I actually felt, my heart hammering in my chest almost rapidly. "And I'm going to call Renji in, you don't look too good." I tried to joke but it sounded morbid coming from me and Toushiro just grunted at it.

"I don't care and I'm not making any promises." He replied quietly.

I growled loudly at his words but I started to stalk out of the place. Now, I knew there was something more into this. The question now rang loudly within my mind with stronger intensity than before. _What are you_? Did the others know or were they also into this? Were they trying to keep Toushiro's…_being_ a secret from everybody else? It would make sense on why Rukia had insisted about changing the subject with it. I was also confused and frustrated. If so, couldn't have the two just told me?

Sighing, I closed the door behind me with a slam.

* * *

I should've known that I should've stayed back and interrogated the white haired brat instead. I just kept wandering around the campus with no real place to go. Why, oh _why_, did I fucking agree to leave? Right, the brat had said that he might kill me if I didn't. He could be bluffing for crying out loud! But I did as he said anyway. I _could_ always go back but I didn't want to risk it if he was telling the truth or not. I had so many things ahead of me to even consider dying. I sent Renji a text message since I wasn't sure if he'll even answer his damn phone.

As I stopped in a cottage near the gates, I decided to just sit down and think. That helps, right?

"Oi, Ichigoooooooo!" Someone yelled at me and I turned around just to see Keigo diving for a hug in my direction.

Fortunately, my reflexes hadn't failed me and just as he got closer, I sidestepped his barrelling form and elbowed him at the back of his head. So he landed on his face, he slid on the ground for a while until he just laid there, limbs sprawled. I didn't even bat an eye for it, he always did that so he should've learned by now. Then slowly, he sat up on the pavement (ignoring the occasional passerby who eyed him like he was crazy) and turned to me with tears streaming down his face (I ignored the image of Toushiro that popped in my mind who had blood rolling down from his closed eye).

"Ichigo, that was mean!" Keigo whined as he spat out some dirt that had gotten into his mouth.

"Keigo, what the hell do you want?" I grunted in annoyance as I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring down at him.

"Oi, what happened to you, Ichigo? You looked like Kurotsuchi-san had just told you that you failed his subject." A voice joked from behind me (not that it was funny or amusing in any way, since this was Mayuri bastard we were talking about) and I turned around to focus my glare on Mizuiro who just smiled at me pleasantly.

"Nothing you should really know. What the hell are you doing here?" I know for sure that they were supposed to be having Biology with Ukitake Juushiro at this time (they were quite in luck, that man was very considerate in regards to his students) and I was a little jealous that they didn't have to suffer under Mayuri like I do. That's why they had it easier in Biology unlike me, always targeted by Mayuri's ire.

"Oh, there was no one to substitute Ukitake-san this afternoon. His sickness kicked in." Mizuiro shrugged at me nonchalantly and I remembered the white haired boy that I left at the dorms – sick too. "What about you? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" He raised an eyebrow at me mockingly with a small grin, I glowered at the ground at the reminder.

"Ishida will fill me in later. Rukia and the others insisted I take advantage of it." Not telling them that they believed that I was delusional (which I was certainly _not_, I could now utter with complete confidence) and was stressed. Damn them.

"Ohh! Kuchiki-san did mention you were stressed!" Keigo cried out dramatically as he tried to fling his arms around me. I dodged at the last second and kicked his behind out of annoyance as my eyebrow twitched, did Rukia had to spread it around like that? Keigo was the last person I wanted to face regarding that issue!

"You could go hang out with us?" Mizuiro offered, sounding almost generous if I didn't know what 'hanging out' with them entailed.

"If you're going to chase after girls again, I'd rather go to the library." I deadpanned dryly as I stared at them with a disinterested gaze.

Keigo was now instantly back on his feet (he sure was resilient) and crying even harder. Geez, what the hell was it with him and drama?

"You're so cold, Ichigo! Why do you continue to ignore us?" He sniffled pathetically as he sobbed out loud, people looking at the commotion with curious eyes. My hand twitched at my side, wanting nothing but to punch Keigo just to stop his stupid antics. Though I smirked knowingly to myself, he thought _I_ was cold? If he touched Toushiro, let's see if he could call anyone that afterwards.

"Look, you can go–" I was cut off as something akin to a shockwave spread through the whole University and outside. I looked around me to find the source but all I saw made my eyes go wide in shock and confusion. Everything and everyone had frozen on their places. Looking to my side, I saw Mizuiro with his hand still in his pocket while the other held up his mobile phone – still smiling slyly after asking me to go with them. Keigo's tears had stopped their flow on his cheeks but he still had his hands clasped in front of him in a pleading fashion. The other students' expression were also caught frozen, others in the middle of a smile, others who were sneaking glances at someone frozen in the act, or even those doing something like jumping had gone still in midair. My eyes darted around wildly and even the birds at mid-flight had gone stationary and motionless in the air. Cars had also gone immobile from what I could see through the gates and looking at the sky, the clouds had been unmoving. No sound reached my ears aside from my movements and breathing. The time seemed to have stopped existing and going. It was like I was in the middle of a picture – the camera had caught everyone…_except me_.

Then I heard _that_ sound. It sounded like a howl or a whine. I didn't know which to settle for. I moved through the frozen bodies as I trudged after that sound. It was the only thing that existed right now since everything had just _stopped_. Time had stopped. I could even catch a couple in the middle of a lip lock and a male attempting to stealthily take a peek of a girl's skirt. There was even a student in the middle of skateboarding, his body still inclined to a position in the middle of his exhibition. I scowled as I ran through the frozen picture everywhere I looked and I was starting to get unnerved. I was the _only one_ moving.

When I reached the one making that stupid _inhuman_ howl, I couldn't stop the slight fear that jolted through my system (I was now standing at the edge of the soccer field available in this institute). There stood what could only be a monster from some freaky horror show my sisters liked to watch so much. It was huge and tall, slimy and greyish skin glinted under the still shining sun as long limbs swiped the air around him. Thankfully, the soccer team wasn't practicing at this time as I imagined the things this monster would be doing right now if they had. There was a hole through his stomach (I could see the things behind him through it). And his head was covered in a white mask with angry blood streaks scratched within the forehead and chin. Yellow eyes glared everywhere and then it settled on me. I was the only moving thing here now (so of course I was the most noticeable!) and what power do I have against this…this _thing_?

For something that was so big and heavy-looking, it moved faster than I thought while I had gone immobile in my place. Was it fear? Or shock? I really didn't know. When he was a mere two or three meters in front of me, it raised a hand to swipe at me. No doubt to kill me. I wished that I had stayed with the white haired brat, at least, there was more of a possibility to survive – and then ignore his death threat.

But then, something blocked the sun from my position and I squinted my eyes above me just to see a small figure descending upon the monster. I followed it as it shot at the monster's hand with great force that dust kicked up everywhere. I covered my face with my left forearm as I coughed out. When the dust settled down slowly, a familiar raven haired girl was standing up on the gore left from the monster's arm. It had exploded at the force of the impact (was that even human?) by the figure. The monster howled in pain as it stumbled back blindly, the sound it was releasing was grating on my ears like nails on chalkboards.

Then the figure turned around and wide amethyst eyes stared at me then around us before it settled back on me.

"I-Ichigo? How the hell are you moving in here?" She questioned with shock and confusion, staring at me as if I was an unknown stranger and unnatural being. I should be the one asking _that_ question and looking like that – she just destroyed a monster's arm for god's sake. But there was a shift behind her as the monster got back on its feet, glaring at her with a hostile growl. She grimaced as she raised her right hand to her chest. The ring on her middle finger (the one she always wore no matter where she was – a thick golden ring with a snowflake carved in the middle of it) glowed brightly then it disappeared as a shining white ribbon materialized in her hand.

"R-Rukia?" I called out weakly.

She ignored me as she prepared to fight the monster in front of her with confidence that only experienced fighters had. This was too much in a single day, first Toushiro, and now _this_? What the hell were they keeping from me? I thought it was only Toushiro (and possibly Rangiku-san). Not Rukia and Renji, I had known them since high school.

What the hell are they?

* * *

AN: Remember to review, please? Thanks in advance and hope you like this chappie~


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